Infinity Reels Slots: What They Are and Why They’re Becoming So Popular
Could Charles August Fey, creator of the original one-armed bandit, have imagined slot design evolving into online games with no fixed pay lines, countless ways to win and reels that keep expanding?
It seems unlikely that Charles August Fey, credited with inventing the first slot machine, anticipated the impact his creation would have on iGaming. The first airplane had not yet been invented, and the internet and World Wide Web were still a long way off.
Just 24 months ago, most online slot players and developers had not encountered the Infinity Reels concept. That changed in the final month of 2019, when Reel Play launched what it described as the first Infinity Reels video slot, El Dorado Infinity Reels.
How Do Infinity Reels Slots Work?
A few rounds are usually enough to understand the basic Infinity Reels mechanic. The rules are simple, even if the effect is unusual.
- Every winning combination adds 1 new reel
- A free spin follows, and only the newly added reel spins; the others stay put
- If the reel spun in step 2 improves the earlier win, another reel is added. You then get a free spin on that new reel alone, while the others remain still
- The process of adding reels can repeat an infinite number of times, ending when a new spin fails to improve the previous win
In brief, a better result adds another reel, and the cycle can continue infinitely. That open-ended progression gives the feature its name, ‘Infinity Reels’. The example below starts with 3 reels.
- Spin 1: Begin with 3 reels; a win adds 1
- Spin 2: There are 4 reels; a win adds 1
- Spin 3: There are 5 reels; a win adds 1
- Spin 48: There are 50 reels; a win adds 1
How Do Infinity Reels Pay Players?
Every new spin’s win is also recorded separately. For instance, if an earlier result of 3 Ace symbols paid a 5x multiplier and the next spin formed 4 Ace symbols worth 10x, the 10x is added to the previous 5x. The running total is then 15x.
- Spin 1: A x5 multiplier win (Total: x5)
- Spin 2: A x10 multiplier win (Total: x15)
- Spin 3: A x20 multiplier win (Total: x35)
How Does Infinity Reels Combine with Infinite Megaways?
Tiki Infinity Reels Megaways and Odin Infinity Reels Featuring Megaways are the video slots identified here as combining ‘Megaways’ mechanics with ‘Infinity Reels’. If you know Megaways slots and their changing reel layouts, this combination pairs that shifting format with reels that can be added after wins.
Infinity Reels Megaways games begin with 3 reels, each displaying 2 to 7 symbols. Following a win, the first 3 reels remain fixed while a new 4th reel spins. Like the other Megaways reels, this 4th reel may show 2 to 7 symbols. The traditional total of 115,000 ways to win applies once play extends beyond 6 reels. Further wins can add 7, 8, 9 and 10 reels, with the number of possible winning ways continuing to rise without a fixed cap.
Which Infinity Reels Games Are Online?
The article identifies ‘Infinity Reels’ games at casinos offering Yggdrasil games. At the time covered, Yggdrasil had not released an Infinity Reels game under its own name. Instead, Reel Play worked with Bad Dingo, BB Games, Royal Dragon and Boomerang Studios on branded releases through the YG Masters game system. Examples include Gems Infinity Reels, Martian Miner Infinity Reels, Golden Haul Infinity Reels, Gargoyle Infinity Reels, Olympus Infinity Reels, Crystal Wolf Infinity Reels, Royal Dragon Infinity Reels and Thor Infinity Reels, as well as the 2 Reel Play Infinity Reels Megaways titles mentioned above.
Other studios noted include Relax Gaming, with Emerald’s Infinity Reels, and PG Soft, with Buffalo Win Infinity Reels, Secrets of Cleopatra Infinity Reels, Jack Frost’s Winter Infinity Reels and Bali Vacation Infinity Reels.
The Infinireels name also features in games from NetEnt and RedTiger. The article lists 1 game from each studio using the feature: NetEnt’s Gods of Gold Infinireels and Red Tiger’s Dragons Fire Infinireels. It anticipated that both brands might release more Infinireels games if interest in the feature continued to grow.
Evan Carrington brings more than 12 years of experience in the iGaming industry, with a focus on reviewing online casinos, assessing slot games and examining player safety. Their work covers casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus terms and withdrawal policies. Drawing on practical testing and independent research, Evan provides clear, evidence-based reviews to help players understand gambling platforms, their features and possible risks.
